1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission network comprising a plurality of optical signal transmission lines which can be connected to one another via optical mixers, particularly for the purpose of data exchange in computer systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a network of the type generally set forth above, the optical mixers are usually realized as optical star couplers. According to the present state of the art, such an optical star coupler can only be produced with relatively few inputs and outputs, cf., for example, Elektronik 4/1981, pp. 63-70; Dr. H. H. Witte "Optische Datenbusse fur Messund Regelaufgaben". If one employs optical star couplers in local networks, there can be a requirement that, for example, up to 1000 subscribers (computer nodes in case such a network is employed in computer systems) are connected over a distance of approximately 1000 m, which corresponds to 1000 or more input/output pairs. Since optical star couplers, respectively, optical mixers, cannot be manufactured with that many input/output lines given known manufacturing techniques, such large networks cannot be directly constructed with such star couplers.